Wk 5: Mon 3rd – Sun 9th Feb

Run time: 5hrs 30mins  (35mi) / Gym time: 2 hr 5mins  / Bike-Crosstrain: 0min

A week of progress, awareness, and fine-tuning the balance between effort and control. Monday was a 5.5-mile evening run during my son’s training—knee confidence growing, but heart rate creeping too high for an easy pace. Tuesday was upper body work in the gym, focusing on assisted pull-ups, bent rows, and chest press—feeling stronger. Wednesday saw the return of my full 7.65-mile morning run at a steady 9-minute pace. Thursday was the full 7.2-mile ‘football’ run, pushing a little too hard at 8:45 per mile, with heart rate sneaking into tempo range at 142 bpm. Friday started with knee-strengthening work, including backwards treadmill walking and calf raises, followed by an evening upper-body session in the gym. Saturday was a trail run with the dog—good for the ankles and knee stability, though the mud slowed me to 10-minute miles while still working at 142 bpm. Sunday was a much more disciplined afternoon run, strictly managing heart rate (keeping it under 135 bpm) to rebuild aerobic capacity—so strict that it meant walking up a small incline to stay within range. Progress is steady, the knee is holding up, and the focus is shifting toward efficiency and endurance.